Watching it burn
by CrazyWolfInLove12345
Summary: Zuko is forced into an arranged marriage after he returns to the fire nation, but it is not remotely what he expected. Sucky summary. Zuko X OC. Rated M for violence, some sexual content and mature themes.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer! I don't own Avatar: The Last Airbender but I do own my OCs.**

Zuko's POV

A wave of nostalgia arises in me as I walk down the familiar hallways of the fire nation palace. I've been home now for just over a month, yet I feel more lost than ever. The only thing that gives me any joy at all is spending time with Mai and funnily enough Azula. I miss Uncle badly though. I might need to visit him in prison. Maybe that is how I'm doing what I'm doing at this moment.

It's the middle of the night, the only light being cast down by the moon and from a small flame in the centre of my palm. It flickers gently, as there is nothing but a whisper of a breeze. The dead silence echoes in my ears. I've always felt more at ease alone but the silence is quickly becoming overpowering in contrast to the lull of the sea that I'm used to hearing. Oh, how I miss the sea, the boat, even the damn crew!

I thought that when I got back I would be complete again but honour hasn't changed anything about me and I still barely see my father, and when I do, only for meetings.

Speaking of which, he discussed my marriage. And not to Mai. He plans for me to marry this 15 year old. I didn't listen beyond that. He's taking away the last thing that makes me truly happy and for that I will never forgive him.

I will not marry her.

Mai and I can run away and live together peacefully, far away from whatever madness he tries imposing on us.

No. I couldn't do that to Mai. All her family are here. Besides, although I may be used to being an outcast and a traitor, she isn't.

I guess I'll just stay and marry this girl. At least then I can still be close to Mai.

But what about the girl I marry? She'll still be ripped from her family, whatever life she had before. Oh well. I can't save everyone.

I come out of my thoughts and find I am now directly in front of my bedroom door. A sigh escapes my lips.

If only there was some way I could-

A cough shatters the silence. It seemed to have come from my room... My muscles tense as I prepare to fight off any intruder and the flame on my palm goes out. Taking in a deep breath, I gently open the door, slipping in.

There's someone there, silently sorting through my stuff. Absolutely everything is dragged out onto the mattress at the back of the room. The intruder themselves is crouched under where my dao swords hang on the wall. Then they come across my mother's betrothal necklace and fling in onto a pile of all my most valuable things, still unaware of my presence. How dare they just chuck my _Mother's_ things around like that! Oh, I will make them pay so very dearly. My blood surges as masses of heat energy pool under the surface of my skin, ready to be released at any moment.

By this point, I'm standing directly over them. I'm so furious I'm seeing red. But I want to see more red. I want to see it swarm the corpse of the very person before me now. I want it to forever stain this floor red so I can remember the feeling of tremendous joy as I watched it become that way. So lost in my fury, my reactions were a little off as when they decided they were done with this area of my room, they stood up straight into my chin, causing me to bite my tongue then stumble back in pain, cursing the gods.

The intruder turned around. It is a skinny boy, about 11 in age. He had brown hair and bright green eyes, typical of Earth kingdom children. A look of horror and dread was all their face was showing. They knew I would kill them. Happily.

Having recovered, I stooped into a fighting stance and raised my fists, which were now ablaze.

He shakily drew out a knife. It was coated in some sort of sticky substance. I stepped towards them, covering the distance towards them in two strides. The boy is visibly trembling, so severely I think he may drop the knife. A small smile works it's way onto my lips. He's going to be so easy to kill.

I was now right in front of the boy, but just out of his reach. He is definitely in mine though.

With jerky movements, he wildly swings the blade around, not even close to where I am. I shoot a single fireball at his chest. It hits where his heart is and sets his clothes alight. I drag him out of my room and shove him to the ground. His screams are the sweetest sound I have heard in a while. It feels nice to release all my negative feelings every once in a while.

When I first started fighting, I hated the sound my opponent would make when they were hurt. After a few months I stopped feeling guilty about pain I caused, as well as coming to enjoy sounds of torment and agony. It meant I was winning, after all.

Of course, I don't hurt animals or anything. That would just be cruel. Although I suppose I never really thought I'd be able to kill but there you go.

The smell of burning flesh and singed hair wafts towards me now. Ain't this gonna be a bitch to clean up in the morning. Oh well. It was worth it.

I'm surprised he hasn't passed out yet. He's still screaming. No guards have come to help yet. I guess they can tell it's not me who's screaming. Maybe they can just smell the flesh. When they come I guess I can just say the boy tried to assassinate me and I had to kill him. Yeah, they'll believe that.

I swallow the small ball of guilt that had formed in my throat. All enemies must be destroyed, or they'll just cause more trouble later on.

Now to bed I guess. The screams have just stopped so I won't exactly have any trouble sleeping.

After sorting my room out a bit, I strip off and get comfy. I wonder what that girl is going to be like when she arrives in the next few weeks. Maybe we'll actually be able to get on. I hope she's at least a little bit like Mai. I guess I'll just have to wait and see. And with that thought, my vision fades to black.

 **Hello! :3 I'll update as soon as possible with the next chapter, but I am have a few exams coming up. Sorry for making Zuko so brutal an psychopathic in this chapter, but I think it shows the mental damage that has come from his childhood. He will get over it (eventually). Anyway, t** **hanks for reading! Cya x  
\- Emi  
**


	2. Chapter 2

Zuko's POV

It has been 3 weeks since I killed the young boy. It's been a blur, just training, eating and sleeping along with all the other stuff I had to do.

Well, not so much sleeping. At night, among other things, the boy has joined the faces that haunt me at night. Just something else to add to my long, long, long list of regrets and every time something's backfired or blown up in my face.

At least there has been one positive development recently. I found out that the bride-to-be is on her way here now, and we're being given just over a year to woo until her sixteenth birthday when we would marry.

Mai should be here soon. We agreed to meet every night in our usual spot deep in the forest by the palace. That used to be one of our favourite places for dates.

A fraction of a smile forces it's way onto my lips as I recall all the fond memories created here with Mai.

Many a time have we trampled through the various trees and undergrowth, carving a path to a small clearing. Near the back of the clearing there is a large fallen tree, on which I am currently perched.

Dawn will break soon. Where is Mai? She should be here by now.

A rustle from the path alerts me to the presence of another.

I tense but relax again quickly when Mai steps out of the shadows.

"Sorry I'm late. I kinda overslept."

Speak of the devil and he shall appear.

"It's fine, Mai. All that matters is you're here now."

Mai flops down on the tree next to me, landing a small kiss on my cheek. I wrap my arm around her and she rests her head on my shoulder.

"Hey, I've been thinking about us a lot recently..."

I look down into her eyes and give her a smile, or my best attempt at one anyway.

Does she want to take our relationship to the next level?

"Yeah, me too."

"Well, I want to talk to you about our relationship."

She pulls away from me slightly.

What is she doing?

If she's acting this way then it must be something really major and or scary.

My heart starts beating faster, pounding in my chest.

"So what do you want to say?"

She pauses.

This is it.

"I don't think we should see each other anymore. At all."

And just like that, my whole world shattered into pieces all around me.

I'm too stunned to speak for a few moments.

"What did I do wrong?"

"You agreed to marry someone other than _me_ Zuko! Your own girlfriend!"

Her face contorts with rage.

"How could you just sit there and look pretty as your own father is looking for a wife for you when you already have a girl in your life?! Why didn't you say you could marry me instead of some girl you've never even met?!"

I stand up, my own body starting to burn with anger.

"I had no choice! Father has never listened before so why would he start now?"

"You could have at least tried!"

"Why? You're not exactly Queen material anyway-"

My head whips to the side and my left cheek stings. Mai just slapped me.

"Don't ever talk to me again!"

And with that, all light and goodness left in my life ran away with tears in her eyes.

Why must I be such a goddamn idiot! Saying she wasn't worthy of being a queen. She's worthy of being a goddess! I have to go after her.

Running as fast as I could down the rough path, I leaped over anything blocking me.

"Mai, wait! I'm sorry!"

I am starting to feel an ache in my body, where my heart is. I haven't felt that since mother disappeared. I really loved her. I really love Mai.

"Mai!"

I trip on a loose rock at the end of the path and am sent slamming into the dirt. I can just make out the shape of Mai's silhouette vanishing, both into the distance and out of my life.

The colours of dawn are starting to creep over the horizon now, but I feel darker than ever before.

Warmth runs down my head and I see a few droplets of red on the ground. Am I bleeding?

I feel tired. I'll worry about it when I wake up. I then slip unconscious.

 **Sorry about the filler chapter but it had to be done. In the next chapter, we meet the bride-to-be so that's something I'm looking forward to writing. Anyway, I hope you have enjoyed so far :3 Bye!**

 **\- Emi**


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